Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-22
Punishment ut Sing Sing.
The PAM OF Being Hume NJ THE WRISTS
AND THE HoRRoRs OF THE DARK CELL.

AND THE HoRRoRs OF TIE DARK CELL.
A visitor going through Sing Sing prison
is struck by . square room, comparatively
| small for that place, that has cleaner and
brighter appearance than any other room 10
the entire institution, the chaplain's office not
excepted. The entrance is on level with
the ground, the entire center is taken up by
framework of brick that is followed out on
two sides into cells, and the entire place is as
white az lime can make it. The tagged cor
ridor running around the cells 10 spotless, and
the place is as quiet as tomb. The cells
are perfectly bare of furniture, and are. for
the greater part of the time, empty. They
are doubly guarded, for besides the usual
heavy grated door they nave door made OF
heavy planks that sets in close to the mason
~. They are in striking contrast to the
walls, for they are painted black. A raised
section of woodwork 10 the center of them
admits air into the cell through winding chan
nels through which not even the faintest ray
of light can force its way. As cheerful as the
place looks to the visitor, it is bugbear to
the prisoners, for these are the dark cells.
This is one of the two forms of punishment
inflicted upon refractory prisoners in Sing
Sing, and it is punishment so horrible that
the mere threat of dark cell carries with 1t
more terrors than the actual infection of the
other punishment, which consists OF stringlng
up prs oners by their wrists. The apparatus
for this is in the same building, and consists
If piece or heavy timber about Is inches
square, that slides up and down in groove.
IN the center Of the square is hook. The
victim is handcutfed, and the link connecting
the cuffs is slipped over this hook, and then
the block is raised up until the prisoner feet
leave the floor. This point is generally sig
nailed by scream from the unhappy wretch
who is suspended, Principal Keeper Con-
naughton said, not more than fifteen or TWEEN
ty seconds.
81 have seen statements to the effect" said
he, that blood frequently gushes from the
wrists of prisoners punished this way; that
it often cripples them for life; that prisoners
are hung up for five or ten minutes; and
that the punishment is frequently Inflicted
None of these statements is true. In the
first place, no living man could stand being
strung up az long a time as that. The pun
ishment is not inflicted once a month, and
during my long experience in prison l have
never known of blood being forced through
the skin by the pressure. A short time ago
a party of visitors were shown through here
One of them was young man about 81 years
of age. He had an idea that men were hung
up by their wrists for hours at time. When
told him that the punishment never lasted
more than few seconds he was not inclined
to believe it. sent for pair of handouts,
and he consented to let me hang him up for
a few seconds. Just as soon as the strain
began he cried out, and his toes had scarcely
left the ground before he was imploring me
to let him down. There was a faint red line
around his wrists, and that was all.
As terrible as this punishment is It is moth
ing compared to the a2onies suffered by
prisoner who is locked up in dark cell.
young fellow was taken to Sing Sing about
year ago to serve five-years' sentence. He
began his term of imprisonment by disobey-
ing every order given him bv the keepers. He
was reasoned with and efforts were made to
show him that he was hurting nobody as much
as he was hurting himself. But he was both
lazy and vicious, and he was strung up by the
wrists. The punishment kept him straight
for few days, but il was soon found neces,
sary to string him up again. The second pun
ishment seemed to have no effect and then he
was placed in a dark cell. AT the expiration
of few hours the door was opened, and the
young man rushed out with face as pale as
death and shaking in every limb. He be-
haved himself for week and then fell into
his old ways again.
Il think shall have to put you in the dark
cell again" said Mr.. Connaughton to him.
"Oh, don't do that" he pleaded. "Please
string me up; that isn't half so frghtful"
Thereafter the mere mention of the dark
cell was so fraught with terrors that it was
enough to bring him to terms and make him
industrious and obedent.
81 was punished once by being placed in
dark cell for several hours" said an ex-con.
Wet the moment the wooden door was
closed the darkness seemed to jump right at
me. l. was not the darkness of night, but a
heavy, thick blackness that you could almost
feel, and that seemed to settle upon you and
crush you down Slowly it became sutfocat-
ing, and little sharp rays of light began to
dance before my eyes; horrible forms, con-
jured up BY the imagination, began growing
out of the blackness, aud fancied | could
hear demonac laughter. threw myself dow n
on the floor and trie ! to sleep | lost con
seriousness for time aud thought had been
there all day, and that it was then night. The
blackness assumed different shape, and
seemed to form itself into waves. like the
bosom of a troubled ocean. The pillows
rolled all about me, and occasionally
seemed to envelnp me. | struggled
out OF them wildly, but again they came
tumbling toward me and again covered me up,
and then felt as though | was being slowly
suffocated. Little sparks and h,shes of ligh,
sprang out of the blackness and shot toward
me, but all seemed to fall short. Then |
thought | saw demons away off in the
shadows, who were hurting the flashes at me,
intent upon murder. / danced around in a
wild effort to escape them, aud then, utterly
| exhausted, threw myself on the floor. When
| awoke another day seemed to have passed
and imagined that was horribly hungry
and thirsty. Long rows of choice food sailed
slowly out of the gloom; | heard the gurg
| ling of water, and then, mad and desperate
| rushed to the door and beat upon it ant
called wildly for help. The door was thrown
open and blaze of light fell upon me tina
seemed to stun me for moment. fell up.
on my knees and was almost helpless for
moment. fell upon my knees and was al
most helpless for time. found that hat
been locked up in the cell less than thres
hours, but it felt like three days to me, ant
you can bet that was careful to avoid punish
ment in the future.-New York Sun.